"Every MMA site went out of their way to cover the DREAM 6 event as if it was a big deal, and yet when the bad TV ratings predictably were released, none of these sites are talking about the fallout. I am curious as to why…"

-- Zach Arnold, asking a very good question. The terrible DREAM.6 ratings here.

The truth is DREAM (and Sengoku) is something of a sideshow for hardcore MMA fans. It's a bonus set of high level fights in a world only privvy to the dedicated fan. Moreover, there is something of an ignorant assumption floating among fans that MMA in Japan can never really suffer in the long run. Amidst turmoil and change, they expect high-level Japanese MMA organizations to find a way to gut through. After all, it's Japan, right? The home of some of the largest, biggest, most widely attended MMA shows in history, right? Nothing could happen, could it? Even with the purchase of PRIDE and the yakuza scandal, there is the expectation that Japan's highest level organization will be the perpetual phoenix rising from the ashes. We shall see.

Because you just don't see good a neck crank - or "sleeper hold" as Lenne Hardt announced it to the crowd - in MMA very often these days. (Hidehiko Yoshida pulled off a good one on Maurice Smith at Sengoku III back in June.) And because MMAJunkie is posting hi-quality versions of the best DREAM.6 fights all this week, with HDNet's consent no less.

Aoki recently said that he'd like to fight at every DREAM event from now on. He's only missed one so far (DREAM.3, due to injury) and with fights as exciting and quick as this, I don't think anyone would complain about having to watch him even more in the future.

I received this translated article by this bloke translating this article:

Cro Cop Wanted to Fight On: "I Knew My Time Would Come"

"Alaister was ahead on points, however its a 15 minute fight and i knew my time would come" said Mirko

Mirko wanted to continue to fight, however the ringside doctor prevented him from continuing.

"I'm angry it ended this way, it seemed as if he was the dominant one, however i wasn't in trouble for a second and was waiting for my opportunities. I prepared very well because i thought the match could last a while. I thought i would knock him down in the end"

His manager Zvonimir Lučić confirmed that he wanted to continue the fight however the ringside officials prevented it as a precaution.

His manager stated that the injury is not a serious one. He doesn't know when the rematch will take place however Mirko's team want one as soon as possible.

It is thought that Dream could host an event in Korea, before the NYE event. 

One would think if its economically feasible putting on a show in Korea could be very entertaining. There is all sorts of Japan vs. Korea rivalry going on in MMA and the ever-villainous Yoshihiro Akiyama (or is it Choi Sung-Ho?) would be an interesting addition to the card.

As for CroCop, I'll reserve judgment until I watch the fight, but color me skeptical about what he has left. Like many other fighters, CroCop is very susceptible to the psychological influence of the fears, apprehensions and anxieties created by the mind. Everyone is susceptible to that sort of pressure, but the way in which it affects performance seems particularly acute with him. Unless he is able to bully and cause others to play apprehensive or restrained, he doesn't seem nearly as dangerous. He works best when he waits patiently to land his shot as his opponent trepidaciously tries to avoid damage. If you take the fight to him, he seems far less of a threat. But I do need to watch the fight.

2
number of full gi's worn by fighters during bouts (Dong Sik Yoon, Yoshihiro Akiyama)
2
number of shoes worn by fighters during bouts (both by Ikuhisa Minowa, who faced known leglock specialist Masakatsu Funaki; result at right)
1
number of dog collars/leashes worn by fighters who were subsequently lead to the ring by their trainer using said leash (Melvin Manhoef)

5 hours, 20 minutes
total duration of the event as broadcast on HDNet
5 minutes, 10 seconds
combined duration of the two semi-final matches and final bout of the Middleweight Grand Prix

127
seconds which elapsed between Zelg Galesic being eliminated from the Middleweight Grand Prix via "Jacare" armbar (left), and Galesic signing autographs for fans at ringside
40
seconds Akiyama stood on the ring apron waiting to sync his leap over the top rope with the end of his entrance music, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli's operatic duet "Time To Say Goodbye."

121
seconds Todd Moore took to walk to the ring
67
seconds it took Shinya Aoki to submit Moore via neck crank
0
number of punches thrown by Aoki

34
number of clean right jabs landed by Keita Nakamura to the face of opponent Adriano Martins
1
number of combatants whose fighting style Kenny Rice favorably compared to a four-sided Hebrew spinning top (Adriano Martins; dreidel)

Continue reading this post »

DREAM.6 QUICK RESULTS

Middleweight Grand Prix Reserve Bout
Andrews Nakahara def. Dong Sik Yoon via TKO (Punches) at 0:30 of Round 2

Middleweight Grand Prix Semi-Final Bout #1
Gegard Mousasi def. Melvin Manhoef via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:28 of Round 1

Middleweight Grand Prix Semi-Final Bout #2
Ronaldo "Jacare" De Souza def. Zelg Galesic via Submission (Armbar) at 1:27 of Round 1

Keita Nakamura def. Adriano Martins via Decision (Split)

Sergei Kharitonov def. Jimmy Ambriz via TKO (Strikes) at 2:15 of Round 1

Atsushi Yamamoto def. Hideo Tokoro via Decision (Unanimous)

Masakatsu Funaki def. Ikuhisa Minowa via Submission (Inverted Heel Hook) at 0:32 of Round 1

Hayato Sakurai def. Kuniyoshi Hironaka via Decision (Unanimous)

Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Masanori Tonooka via Submission (Armbar) at 6:26 of Round 1

Shinya Aoki def. Todd Moore via Submission (Neck Crank) at 1:07 of Round 1

Alistair Overeem vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic was ruled a No Contest.
Filipovic was unable to continue following two unintentional illegal knees to the groin in the first round. Both fighters received yellow cards during the bout: Overeem for the second knee, and Filipovic for stalling on the ground from his back.

Middleweight Grand Prix Final Bout
Gegard Mousasi def. Ronaldo "Jacare" de Souza via KO (Upkick) at 2:15 of Round 1
Gegard Mousasi wins the 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix and becomes the first ever DREAM Middleweight Champion

The losing MWGP semifinalists were awarded ¥1,000,000 (about $9,400).
"Jacare" received ¥3,000,000 ($28,500), and Mousasi ¥10,000,000 ($95,000).
These bonuses are in addition to their regular fight purses.

OTHER NOTES

- WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko appeared in the ring and briefly addressed the fans in attendance, stating that he would like to face Japanese judoka and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii but that "unfortunately that hasn't been decided yet," though he would like to fight in Japan on New Year's Eve regardless. HDNet's Ron Kruck had reported earlier in the evening that Emelianenko would face the winner of the Cro Cop/Overeem bout on New Year's Eve.

- Following his fight, Aoki took the mic and said he had an important announcement for the fans: that he would like to fight "Michael Jackson" (Akiyama) on New Year's Eve. Akiyama, meanwhile, also expressed his desire to fight someone on NYE: fellow world-class judoka Hidehiko Yoshida.

Full play-by-play and results in the extended entry.

Continue reading this post »

With the lines being released less than 24 hours before the show, there isn't enough time to go through a full breakdown of the card.  I'll give you my thoughts on the best value for tonight's Dream card.

Gegard Mousasi -200
Melvin Manhoef +200

Jacare Souza -550
Zelg Galesic +425

Mirko Cro Cop -205
Alistair Overeem +170

Dong Sik Yoon -625
Andrews Nakahara +525

Hideo Tokoro -200
Atsushi Yamamoto +170

Yoshihiro Akiyama -1700
Masanori Tonooka +800

Keita Nakamura -450
Adriano Martins +300

Ikuhisa Minowa -290
Masakatsu Funaki +250

Hayato Sakurai -1300
Kuniyoshi Hironaka +700

Shinya Aoki -2500
Todd Moore +1250

Honestly, there isn't a lot on this card.  There are a lot of mismatches and the odds reflect that.  That said, I picked up Mousasi at -155 when he opened and there's probably a little value left at -200.  I think there could be value on Cro Cop at -205, but I can't pull the trigger on it.  I also skipped Jacare at -375, and I'm regretting it now that the line has moved.

However, there is a nice little gem here.  If you're on 5dimes, you have an even nicer gem.  Jump on Minowa.  It seems weird to say, but I think Minowa should be a much bigger favorite here.  Funaki offers very little anymore and Minowa should be able to take care of him fairly quickly.

My plays tonight:

Gegard Mousasi -155 1.55u to win 1u
Ikuhisa Minowa -325 4.3u to win 1.3u

Hiostaja brings us a slick unofficial promo for tonight's DREAM.6 show.

Here are results from today's weigh-ins - the 12th and final match of the evening will be the Middleweight Grand Prix finals featuring the winners of Jacare/Gelesic and Mousasi/Manhoef.

11. HW: Mirko CroCop (102.7 kg) vs. Alistair Overeem (109.9 kg)
10. LW: Shinya Aoki (69.9 kg) vs. Todd Moore (69.8 kg)
9. MW: Yoshihiro Akiyama (84 kg) vs. Masanori Tonooka (83.7 kg)
8. WW: Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (76 kg) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (75.9 kg)
7. MW: Minowaman (87.9 kg) vs. Masakatsu Funaki (90 kg)
6. FW: Hideo Tokoro (62.9 kg) vs. Atsushi Yamamoto (62.8 kg)
5. HW: Sergey Kharitonov (115 kg) vs. Jimmy Ambriz (132 kg)
4. LW: Ktaro Nakamura (70 kg) vs. Adriano Martins (70 kg)
3. MW: Ronaldo Jacare (83.8 kg) vs. Zelg “Benkei” Galesic (83.9 kg)
2. MW: Gegard Mousasi (83.9 kg) vs. Melvin Manhoef (84 kg)
1. MW: Yoon Dong Sik (84 kg) vs. Andrews Nakahara (83.5 kg)

via Nightmare of Battle

Mirko Cro Cop: "As a professional fighter, I'm willing to fight Kharitonov after fighting Allister. I'm sure Kharitonov doesn't want to go home without fighting. I'm happy to be his opponent."

Alistair Overeem: "I suppose our fight is your last fight as a professional MMA fighter, Mirko. "

Mirko Cro Cop: "I like fighting someone who has plenty of guts, and I admit Alistair is one of them; although, our fight won't be my last fight for sure."

Sergei Kharitonov: "I respect both Mirko and Alistair. I'm sure it's a big decision fighting twice a day. I am appreciative of Mirko, yet I would like to fight you in another time. "

Yoshihiro Akiyama: "Let me say something. I'm not looking down on Tonooka, but I can also fight Kharitonov."

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Alistair Overeem, and Yoshihiro Akiyama talking smack at the DREAM.6 press conference upon hearing the announcement that Mighty Mo would not be available to fight Sergei Kharitonov. Translation by Suki MMA.

It's now looking even more likely that Sergei Kharitonov and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic will be the ones squaring off for a DREAM heavyweight title at Fighting & Entertainment Group's New Year event, as Filipovic prognosticated in a Croatian TV interview last week. MMARated's Ariel Helwani was first to report on Friday that Kharitonov's opponent for Tuesday's DREAM.6, "Mighty Mo" Siliga, had withdrawn from the bout for unspecified reasons; now, he's been removed from the fight card on the official DREAM site. Agent Ken Pavia tells Punch Drunk Gamer that one of his fighters - journeyman Jimmy "The Titan" Ambriz (pictured) - will step in to face the Russian on less than a week's notice. Ambriz most recently fought (and won) on a Rumble In The Cage card in May, though his last high profile fight was an MMA rules match against Jerome Le Banner at K-1 Hero's in 2006 where he was knocked out in two minutes. Mighty Mo would have been a solid challenge for the returning Sergei (at least until it went to the ground); now he's simply tuning up for Mirko against a guy who made #3 on Cage Potato's list of 10 Fighters Who Should Hang Up Their Gloves.

Another interesting DREAM.6 note: Japan-MMA is reports that the ratings-challenged show will not be airing live in its home country, but instead will air in edited form later in the evening (9PM) and as an uncut Pay-Per-View beginning at 11PM that night. This could very well mean nothing except that FEG and TBS want the show to go off without a hitch in order to secure better ratings now and in the future. The HDNet broadcast is still expected to air live.

Meanwhile, on World Victory Road, the semifinal match-ups for the conclusion of the Lightweight Grand Prix at Sengoku VI on November 1st have been unveiled:

Satoru Kitaoka vs. Eiji Mitsuoka

Mizuto Hirota vs. Kazunori Yokota

If the opening round was any indication, these bouts (not to mention the finals later that night) could be some of the most explosive lightweight matches of the year. Jorge Masvidal  and Ryan Schultz will square off at Sengoku V next Sunday to determine which fighter will move on to the GP's reserve bout.

WVR also announced today that Josh Barnett will participate on the November 1st card, though an opponent has not yet been selected. Barnett had been slated to face Andrei Arlovski at the now-rescheduled "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" show in October, a fight which Tom Atencio says is still happening in January.

UPDATE: DREAM exec Sasahara announced at a press conference today that Mighty Mo was injured in training and that FEG is still searching for an opponent. Cro Cop then offered to fight twice in one night, to which Kharitonov responded " I am appreciative of Mirko, yet I would like to fight you another time."

Do you think you can defeat Akiyama?
Honestly, I think so. I'm the one who is very serious about becoming a great fighter. I love Japanese MMA and I'm always very motivated to be better. On the other hand, he is not serious about fighting. You will easily see our differences...if we fight. I don't care whether he changes an attitude of mind as a fighter or not. I have a pride as a fighter. I like the way I live and fight.

-- Shinya Aoki throws out the idea for a superfight with Yoshihiro Akiyama (aka Michael Jackson) at this week's DREAM press conference. Aoki also mentioned a possible New Year's Eve match with former K-1 champion Badr Hari, who is set to face Hong Man Choi at K-1's WGP Final 16 in Seoul later this month.